


marshmallows make every drink better

by vaahtokarkki



Series: Requests etc [1]
Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, First Dates, M/M, vaguely. kind of. I never specify it but they're roommates and (waves hand) study
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-19
Updated: 2019-03-19
Packaged: 2019-11-25 20:02:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18170816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vaahtokarkki/pseuds/vaahtokarkki
Summary: How hard can it be to ask your roommate on a date? Plenty, if you ask Rei.





	marshmallows make every drink better

**Author's Note:**

  * For [azu_no_ephemeron](https://archiveofourown.org/users/azu_no_ephemeron/gifts).



> this is a charity commission (which means I gained no monetary profit from writing this) for azura! she wanted watarei with either them being roommates or going on a cafe date, so I combined both prompts into one. I hope you like this!
> 
> (I left the setting kind of vague but they're roommates and study together. or something of the sort. also, wataru has a terrible sweet tooth. fight me)

“Wataru, will you go on a date with me? … Next weekend? Yeah, saturday good? … Yeah, yeah, I know a place we can go to. … Right, so that’s, it’s a date, then!”

Rei steps away from the mirror and sighs. He’s getting better at this, but whenever he intends to actually say the words to Wataru, he doesn’t manage to go through with it. It’s just too scary. They’re roommates, so if -- if this changes something, if Wataru rejects him, if they go out but have a bad time, if --

“Okay, okay”, Rei mutters. There’s no use -- really no use worrying until he actually asks Wataru and gets a reply. He just needs to… do it.

Which is much easier said than done, but he’s put this off for more than enough time, so he tells himself, he’ll do it today. Maybe tomorrow? Or the day after, if Wataru has school all day, but --

_“Rei”,_ he whines. “You’re impossible. _I’m_ impossible.”

Today or never. That’s what he tells himself, because if he doesn’t do it now — he really might just hesitate forever.

 

* * *

 

Wataru comes home from school and breaks into an elaborate explanation of his day.

It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement, because Wataru can get out the day’s worries, and Rei can filter out the words and concentrate on the way Wataru’s voice soothes him — not a sentiment many share, he supposes.

As always, Wataru sinks on their couch, and talks for at least ten minutes without pausing. But today is different. Today Rei is nervous enough that even Wataru’s voice can’t calm him.

And Wataru notices. Even though in the middle of a story, he notices, and pauses, never finishes the sentence. Instead, he looks at Rei with a frown.

”Rei? Are you feeling quite alright?”

”Ah”, Rei exhales, balling his hands into fists to conceal their shaking, ”I was just thinking, if you’d like to go out with me? Like… maybe a cafe, or…?”

”Mm, don’t be silly”, Wataru laughs, bright, and Rei freezes. Don’t be silly about what? That sounded like — that sounded like a _no_ — ”We already go out a lot? Just a few days ago, we went out for lunch. You don’t need to ask if I _want_ to spend time with you. Just ask, when I’m free.”

“Oh”, Rei breathes. That’s good, that means he wasn’t rejected. But -- “No, wait, that’s not what I…“

“Hm?” Wataru, having already turned away, looks back at Rei. “Seriously, is something wrong?”

“I-it’s just”, Rei fiddles with his sleeve, “when I said, _go out with me,_ I kind of meant… not like we usually do…?”

Wataru blinks, and blinks again, and only then his eyes widen in realisation. His cheeks immediately dye a lovely pink, as his mouth hangs open.

“Y-you meant…? Oh! Oh, my gosh! I’m so sorry, I didn’t realise…” Wataru stands up and bows, a sudden and frantic movement. “Of course! Of course I will go out with you!”

“You will?” Rei gasps. “Like, on a date?”

“Isn’t that what you’re asking? Yes, I will!”

“Oh”, Rei blinks. “I was sure you’d say no.”

“Silly”, Wataru huffs, now placing his hands on his hips. “How could I say no to you?”

“Well, you say no to _everyone”,_ Rei mutters. It’s _true,_ that Wataru has been asked on more dates than Rei can count, but he has declined every offer. Can anyone blame Rei for thinking he would be the same?

“I do?” Wataru tilts his head. “I suppose I do. Well, they’re not you.”

Those words have implications Rei can’t allow himself to dwell on.

 

* * *

 

Wataru insists they get dressed up without seeing each other, for authenticity. It’s that much more difficult to come out of his room, when Rei knows what awaits him outside.

Unlike Wataru, Rei goes on dates, but they usually don’t _mean_ anything. He goes in hopes of feelings taking wings, but that never happens, and he always finds himself wishing he was sitting down with Wataru instead.

In other words, getting ready for a date should be a piece of cake to Rei, but it absolutely _isn’t_.

Rei redoes his ponytail for the tenth time. Any other day, he would just give up, but today, he wants to look perfect. What about stray hairs? Would hair pins be too much? Rei absentmindedly twists a strand around a finger.

Well, he’s no magician. There will be stray hairs, wanted or not. Wataru may know how to tie a perfect ponytail, but Rei’s brand is much messier, and he likes it this way.

He hopes Wataru likes it this way, too.

In the end, Rei needs double the usual time to get ready. He hopes Wataru won’t have had to wait for too long. Despite the amount of care he can put into his appearance when he really gets into it, he’s also unfairly fast at at it. His hair won’t need fifteen tries to get right -- he can do it on the first try.

All of which is _unfair,_ but oddly endearing. When it comes to Wataru, Rei is more often than not endeared, also about those habits others might find annoying instead. Sure, it’s not _fun_ finding feathers and rose petals in his food almost every day, but it’s all worth it when Wataru smiles at his doves.

(Rei thought pets are forbidden in their apartment, but knowing Wataru, it’s just a rule he’s elected to ignore.)

When Rei finally emerges from his room, he finds that Wataru took nearly as long to dress up as Rei did. Somehow, that makes Rei’s stomach flutter -- this means Wataru must have fretted over his looks just like Rei did.

“Rei!” Wataru exclaims happily. “You’re all ready?”

“Yes”, Rei nods, trying to look Wataru over as innocently as possible. Wataru’s hair is up, though that one braid is still hanging off the side of his head. He’s touched up his face a little, though mostly just highlighter, and something on his eyelashes that glitters when he blinks.

Rei chose to go with simple makeup, too, nothing more special than what he would wear daily. It was the hair and clothes that caused him the biggest headache -- he could do his eyeliner in his sleep, if he had to.

(Sometimes, he does.)

“Then let us go”, Wataru bows theatrically, offering Rei his hand.

As expected, Wataru’s skin is warm.

 

* * *

 

The cafe Rei picked isn’t a fancy one, but he has a feeling Wataru doesn’t care about the fanciness level of the place. It’s a strange feeling to go on a first date -- it’s been a while since he’s done this, but usually, the other party is a stranger enough that the date goes by just learning about each other.

Not today, since they already know more about each other than people usually do after three dates.

What do people talk about on dates if they’re already friends?

“Rei, look, look, you can ask them to add marshmallows to your drink~”

“Hm”, Rei scrunches up his nose. “Too sweet for me. You’d like something like that, though…”

“Aw, you know that I would.”

Ever the sweet tooth. Rei squints at the menu. He doesn’t want anything with too much sugar, and nothing with caffeine… Has he always been this difficult…?

“How about iced tea?” Wataru asks, shaking Rei from his thoughts.

“What?”

“If you’re thinking what to get. That one doesn’t have any added sugar”, Wataru points. “Even an old man like you could handle it.”

“Cheeky… but you are correct”, Rei clicks his tongue. “Have you made your decision?”

“Yes”, Wataru nods.

“And?”

“Hm?”

“I’ll need to know what it will be? Since I’m paying.” Rei tilts his head, puzzled.

“You are?” Wataru blinks.

Ah. He may have forgotten to tell that.

“Well, since… it’s a date…” Rei looks away, suddenly bashful.

“Oh! Sorry!” Wataru’s eyes fly wide. “Sorry, I guess I’m not used to going out like this.”

“As long as you don’t forget we’re on a date”, Rei laughs. Truth be told, he may be a little bit afraid of that actually _happening._

“Aw, I wouldn’t”, Wataru looks away, but his cheeks are dusted pink. “As for my drink… I’m thinking, a salted caramel latte with an extra shot and marshmallows?”

“As you wish”, Rei nods.

“You’re a darling”, Wataru leans over to kiss Rei on the cheek. “I’ll find us a table.”

Today, a simple action like that is enough to make Rei feel lightheaded.

 

 

* * *

 

“...And then Sagami-kun told me I should sleep more, I mean, it’s not his job to worry about that?”

“It kind of is”, Rei takes a sip from his iced tea. “He _is_ a nurse.”

“Still”, Wataru pouts. “He should think about real health concerns, like… flus.”

“And students not sleeping enough. Hey, Wataru?”

“Mm?” Wataru fishes a marshmallow from his drink.

“Could we talk about something else than school? Something more… romantic?”

“Oh! Of course”, Wataru nods. “Hmm… What do people talk about on dates…”

“What’s your horoscope?”

“You know my horoscope”, Wataru lifts an eyebrow.

“Aw, play along. What’s your horoscope?”

“Pisces?”

“Really? You know, water signs tend to get along well”, Rei leans closer over the table. “We’re compatible.”

Wataru stares at him for just a moment, then finally dissolves into laughter, bright and refreshing.

“Am I the first one you tried that on?”

“You’re the first one who’s laughed”, Rei admits.

“What’s the usual reaction? Does everyone swoon?” Wataru lifts a hand to his forehead and leans against the back of his chair, pretending to faint. _“Oh, Sakuma-kun, I can’t believe we were written in the stars.”_

“No one calls me that”, Rei protests.

“Oh, do your dates call you Rei? Scandalous”, Wataru gasps.

“I don’t go on _that_ many dates.”

“I know”, Wataru’s eyes twinkle. “You’re just so terribly cute when I tease you.”

“And you’re so cheeky to an old man”, Rei sighs.

“Isn’t that one of the reasons you like me?”

Oh, sometimes it’s infuriating when he’s right.

Wataru finishes his coffee and resumes fishing for marshmallows. He gets really into it -- or does he just like marshmallows a lot? Rei watches his eyes go glassy in focus.

Rei, cute? Has Wataru ever looked in a mirror?

“Mm”, Wataru makes a happy noise after finally catching the marshmallow. “Thank you again for paying. Next time is on me, okay?”

“I told you, it’s a d…”

Wataru puts a finger against Rei’s lips to shush him.

“Rei~ I meant, next _date_ is on me.”

“We’re going on another date?” Rei blinks.

“I’m _asking_ you on another date”, Wataru leans back, laughing. “Will you say yes?”

“Well, yes”, Rei answers without hesitation.

“Amazing”, Wataru says softly. His smile is hesitant, almost shy, and his cheeks are a lovely pink shade. “I look forward to it.”

“We’re still on our _first_ date”, Rei reminds him.

“Yes”, Wataru leans his chin against his palm, elbow on the table. “And I’m looking forward to it already.”

“I should have asked you out _ages_ ago”, Rei shakes his head fondly.

“Better late than never”, Wataru smiles at Rei over his hand. “Can you get me a refill of marshmallows?”

“No, but I’ll buy you a bag on the way home and fix you a cup of cocoa with them.”

“This is the _best_ date I’ve ever been on”, Wataru sighs wistfully.

Rei doesn't know how much that counts if it's his  _first_ one, but he decides to not comment on that.


End file.
